Harry haynes



(No Model.)

H. HAYNES.

WIRE FENCE.

No. 550,371. Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

W INVENIO R4 ATTORNEYS ANDREW EGRAHAM.PHO'IOUTNQWASHINGTON.UL

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

HARRY HAYNES, OF OOLDWVATER, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN N. NEAL,

' OF SAME PLACE.

WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters: Patent No. 550,371, datedNovember 26, 1895.

Application filed June 18, 1894. Serial No. 514,920. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY HAYNES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Goldwater, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire Fences, of whichthefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of wire fences which are providedwith tension devices which compensate for the expansion and contractionof the fence.

My invention has for its objects to construct the tension devices insuch a manner that the necessity of boring holes in the posts isobviated, and to so combine the wires with the tension devices that thelatter may be arranged at or near the center of the fence, so-

as to enable the wires to be strained more evenly when the fence iserected upon uneven ground. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of myimproved fence. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of one of thetension devices. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bracketin which the shaft or spindle is journaled. Fig. lis a rear View of thetensioning device, showing the means of connecting the wires to thespring.

A represents one of the end posts of the fence, and B B are twointermediate posts thereof.

C represents the longitudinal wires of the fence, each of which isdivided into two sections, which are connected by an interposed tensiondevice constructed as follows.

D is a bracket or supporting-frame provided with forwardly-projectingears cl, in which are formed open or half bearings d.

E is a transverse winding spindle or shaft seated with its end portionsin such half-bearings and provided with a ratchet-wheel e, whichinterlocks with a detent-toot-h diformed on the adjacent ear of thebracket D,whereby the spindle is held against backward movement. Theteeth of the ratchet-wheel are beveled on their rear sides, so as topermit the spindle to be turned forwardly. One end of the spindle issquare or flat-sided and adapted to receive a corresponding wrench forturning the spindle.

D is a hollow plug or stem extending rearwardly from the bracket D, andF is a spiral spring, which surrounds said plug and bears at its frontend against the rear side of the bracket.

When the tension device is arranged adj acent to an end post, as shownby the devices of the top and bottom wires in Fig. 1, one section of thewire is attached to the spindle E and passes rearwardly through anopening 01 of the bracket and through the hollow stem of the latter,thus tending to hold the winding-spindle in its bearings in the bracket.

G is a wire loop which forms the other section of the divided wire andwhich surrounds the post. This loop passes with its branches through thebracket-opening and its hollow stem and has its ends connected with therear end of the spring F. This connection may be effected by a Washer h,bearing against the rear end of the spring, and provided with two pairsof holes h, through which the ends of the wire loop are passed in theform of a hook, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, so as to securely fasten thesame to the washer. This washer also has a central opening 71, for thepassage of the fence-wire 0.

Upon turning the spindle in the proper direction to tighten thefence-wire the section attached to the spindle is wound upon the latter,thus tending to draw the bracket D away from the end post, while theloop G, forming the other section, confines the rear end of the springagainst movement in the same direction, thus compressing the spiralspring and tensioning the wire. By this construction the boring of holesin the end post for the passage of the Wire is avoided, thus saving thetime and expense of this operation and reducing the cost of the fencecorrespondingly.

By combining the tension devices with the divided fence wires in themanner described the further important advantage is obtained that thetension devices may be located at or near the center of the fenceerected on uneven or undulating ground, as shown in connection with theintermediate wires of Fig. 1, by which arrangement the tension is moreevenly exerted upon the wires. When the tension device is thus arranged,the fencewire is divided as in the first-described ar rangement and onesection of the wire is secured to the spindle, while the other sectionis fastened to the washer or cross-bar at the rear end of the spring. Inthis case the section connected with the spring is simplylooped aroundthe end post and the end of the loop is twisted around the body of thewire closely to the post, as shown, to avoid the formation of a longloop extending from the post to the tension device.

The several longitudinal wires of the fence are connected by stays I,which preferably consist of a piece of wire formed at intervalscorresponding to the main wires with lateral loops 1', which are twistedaround the main wires by a bar or lever J inserted in the loops. Thesstays are bent into the form shown adjacent to the intermediate post Bin Fig. 1 before being applied to the fence. The upper portion of eachstay is preferably vertically movable on the lower portion, so that incase the upper wire of the fence is depressed by an animal the upperpart of the stay is not bent or buckled, but simply slides on the lowerpart and allows the upper wire to return to its normal position when thepressure is removed therefrom. For this purpose the upper part of thestay consists of a piece of wire bent into V shape and having the upperends of its branches twisted around the top wire, while its apex looselystraddles the adjacent lower portion of the stay to allow the movablestay to slide up and down freely.

In both of the constructions described each fenceavire is divided andthe tension device is interposed between the adjacent sections of thewire instead of employing continuous wires and passing the same throughperforations in the end posts and arranging the tension devices on theouter sides of said posts, as has been the case heretofore.

I claim as my invention In combination in a wire fence, the posts, thewinding spindle, the hollow bracket carrying the same, the bearing plateor washer having a central opening with openings on each side thereof,the spring between the bearing plate and the bracket, the wire passingthrough the central opening of the bearing plate and connected with thewinding spindle and the loop extending from one of the posts through thebracket and having its ends passed through the side opening of thebearing plate and connected therewith on opposite sides of the centralwire, substantially as described.

Witness my hand this l5th day of June, 1894.

HARRY HAYNES.

Witnesses HENRY G. LOVERIDGE, NOAH P. LOVERIDGE.

